Prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) is as high as 50% among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Identification of risk factors for the development of SIB is critical to early intervention and prevention. However, there is little empirical research utilizing a prospective design to identify early risk factors for SIB. The purpose…

Poor reciprocity is a defining feature of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study, we examined the reliability and validity of the Interactive Drawing Test (IDT), a new instrument to assess reciprocal behavior. The IDT was administered to children and adolescents with ASD (n = 131) and to a typically developing group (n = 62). The…

The Behavior Flexibility Rating Scale (BFRS) is designed to assess insistence on sameness or lack of behavioral flexibility, which is often associated with autism and other developmental disabilities. This study was designed to assess the factor structure of this scale for a sample of 968 individuals with autism, Asperger's syndrome, and Down…

The study compared the behavior of 61 preschool autistic children with that of 35 retarded children matched for mental age and 30 normal children matched for chronological age. Ss were rated on a 67 item Behavior Observation Scale during three free play sessions. Among findings were that six behaviors (grimace/gesticulation, echolalic speech,…

The Behavior Observation Scale (BOS) was administered to 53 autistic children, 35 mentally retarded children matched for MA, and 33 normal children (all 2 to 5 years old) in an attempt to quantify autistic behavior. Ss were observed 3 days for 3 minutes through a one way mirror in a playroom setting where occurrence of 67 behaviors on the BOS was…

Discussed are procedures for the charting of behavior changes to provide feedback for child and teacher which are reported to have been used at one school for autistic and neurologically impaired children. (DB)

Two observational systems were employed to measure the behavior patterns of two elementary-age autistic children and their classroom peers during a free-play period. The results obtained were discussed in terms of their significance for the clinical treatment of autistic behavior, and the evaluation of such treatment. (Author)

This study examined the effectiveness of the Behavior Summarized Evaluation to discriminate 58 autistic from 58 nonautistic mentally retarded children. The measure clearly separated the two samples with between-group differences highest on four items indicating the most particular pattern in autistic children was the association of autistic…

Data on 36 autistic, 30 mentally retarded (MR), and 22 normal children (23-65 months old) was collected to develop a method of objective behavioral assessment for diagnosing autism and documenting symptom changes over time. Ss were observed and rated on the Behavior Observation Scale, an instrument which contains 67 objectively defined behaviors…

The use of an observational assessment instrument designed for autistic children is described. The Behavior Rating Instrument for Autistic and other Atypical Children (BRIAAC) measures behavior in eight developmental areas: relationship to an adult, communication, drive for mastery, vocalization and expressive speech, sound and speech reception,…

Ten parents of preschoolers with autism and 10 parents of typical preschoolers were given the Detection of Autism by Infant Sociability Interview, which elicits reports on 19 aspects of social engagement characteristics. Findings indicate that infants with autism had marked limitations in both person-to-person and person-person-object social…

The Revised Children's Eating Behaviour Inventory, the Parenting Stress Index, and the Krug Autism Behavior Checklist were used to assess eating/mealtime problems and related variables in 33 young high functioning autistic children (mean age 5 years, 3 months), 295 normally developing children (mean age 5 years, 8 months) and 11 young boys (mean…

Social skills and levels of inappropriate assertiveness/impulsiveness were assessed using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters, with 17 autistic children (ages 2-21) and 17 matched nonautistic children. Significant differences in both appropriate and inappropriate social behaviors were found. Results suggest the importance of…